Tooth brush with disposable head



March 23, 1965 R. DENGLER 3,174,174

Toom BRUSH WITH DIsPosABLE HEAD Filed June 17, 196:5

I8 2 IO 2 28 30 INVENTOR. RU DOLF, DENGLER United States Patent O The instant invention relates generally to tooth brushes and particularly to apcombination brush and holder, the brush being detachable and expendable.

Background Tooth brushes are unsanitary if not cleaned thoroughly each time they are used. In case of incipient mouth infection, an unsanitary tooth brush may aggravate the infection and retard response to treatment. Perhaps a more serious source of mouth infection is the tube of tooth paste used commonlyrby a number of persons. By this means, germs from one tooth brush may be transferred to others,thence to the mouths of the users. Use of disposable tooth brushes containing their own supply of dentifrice would eliminate these hazards.

Inexpensive, disposable tooth brushes also may be used for administering prophylactic and therapeutic medicine for prevention of mouth infection and treatment of such `diseases at trench mouth, pyorrhea and the like. EX- pendable'brushes impegnated with suicient medicine for a single treatment are ideal for this purpose.

Accordingly, to provide a completely sanitary tooth brush for brushing teeth, massaging gums, and applying medicine, the instant invention is al Vcombination tooth brush holder and brush. element impregnated with dentifrice, the brush element being detachable for disposal after use. A p

Objects It is a principal object of this invention to provide an improved sanitary tooth brush.-

It is another object to provide an improved-sanitary tooth brush that may be used to clean teeth and massage gums. Y

It is still another object to provide an improved santitary tooth brush containing its own dentifrice.

- It is yet another object of this invention to provide an improved sanitary tooth brush having a detachable and disposable brush element.

' Itis a further object of thisl invention to provide an improved sanitary .tooth `brush having an epipendible brush element, the retainableparts being easily separated and cleaned.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide an improved sanitary tooth brush having a detachable and disposable brush element, separate brush elements and the retainable parts of the tooth brush being sanitan'ly protected for storage or carrying in the pocket.

With these and other objects definitely in View, this invention consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of elements and portions, as will be hereinafter fully described in the specification, particularly pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the drawing which forms a material part of this disclosure, and in which:

FIGURE l is a top plan View of the tooth brush;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2 2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line 3 3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view similar to FIGURE 3, but with the head removed and the holder reversed; and

FIGURE 5 is a-n enlarged sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of FIGURE 2.

Similar lcharacters of reference indicate similar or identical elements and portions throughout the specification and throughout the views of the drawing.

vDetailed description i Referring to the drawing, the retainable parts of the tooth brush comprise handle lltl, telescoping member 12,

and brush head holder i4. Both handle I0 and member 12, as illustrated, are of iiattened tubular construction, al

thoughV other contigurations, such as rectangular or cylindrical, may be used. Handle 10 has a closed end 16 and an open end 18. Similarly, member 12. has a closed end 20 and an open end, 22. Handle 1 6 and member 12 form telescoping sections, Witheither end, 20 or 22, of member i2 being insertable in open end 18 of handle 10. Brush head holder 14 is a resilient wire element comprising two longitudinally disposed loops 24 and 26, loop 26 being insertable in open end 22 of telescoping member 12. The three retainable parts, handle 10, telescoping member I2, and brush head holderl4, are especially designed so that they may be separately and thoroughly cleaned. Additionally, telescoping member 12 may be inserted in handle l@ with open end 22 protruding as shown in FIGURE Y3 or with closed end 2t) protruding as shown in FIGURE 4. In the position shown in FIG- URE 3, loop 24 is exposed and extended for holding brush head 2d, While in FIGURE 4, loop 24 is enclosed in handle it), the entire assembly thus being sanitarily protected for storage and/orcarrying in a pocket.

The three retainable parts ,have other features especially designed to provide a practical, sanitary `tooth brush, the structure of each part and additional feature being simple to facilitate manufacture and rugged to assure reliability.

Handle lil includes a pair of laterallydisposed slots 30 in opposite sides of the handle. Flat, annular element 32 is retained in slots 3) and free to move laterally in the slots. Telescoping member 12 includesan inwardly projecting shoulder 34 at one side of open end 22 and an open, longitudinally disposed slot 36 in the opposite side of openA end 22. Brush head holder 14 is composed of resilient Wire, such as stainless spring steel or the like, and includes loop 24, inwardly turned arcuate portion 38 at the juncture of loops 24 andY 26, outwardly turned prong 49 at the free end of loop 24, and inwardly turned U-shaped portion 42 at the free end of loop 26.

To prepare the tooth brush for use, assuming'the retainable parts are assembled as in FIGURE 4, annular element 32 Yis pressed inwardly, disengaging prong 4h from slot 30, and telescoping number 12 is withdrawn from handle 10. Then brush head holder 14 is withdrawn from telescoping member 12, prong 40 sliding freely in slot 36. Next, elliptically vshaped loop 24 is snapped onto brush head 285, and brush head holder 14 is inserted in telescoping member 12 until arcuate portion 38 engages shoulder 34 and prong 49 reaches the closed end of longitudinal slot 36. Finally, telescoping member 12 is inserted in handle l0, until prong 40 engage-s slot 3d, U-shaped portion 42 providing resilient pressure for proper engagement or disengagement of prong 40.

Brush head 28 is a tooth cleaning and gum massaging device that contains enough dentifrice, such as powder, paste, or liquid, or a suitable medicine, for one application. Brush head 23 may be enclosed in a sanitary Wrapper, such as cellophane or other plastic. While other brush heads with a similar configuration may be used according to individual choice the brush head disclosed in my Patent No. 2,893,031 being suitable, the embodiment of the instant invention is preferred.

Brush head 28 includes a smooth gum massaging back surface 44 generally V-shaped in cross section with the apex outermost and a tooth cleaning front surface 46 with bristles 48 protruding therefrom. The main body 3 of brush head 28 is composed of porous material, 50, such as sponge rubber, sponge plastic, or the like. Porous material 50 is impregnated with a medicine or dentifrice 52, such `as powder, paste, or liquid. A resilient plasticY element 54, embedded in porous material 50, has a smooth edge 56 terminating flush with and reinforcing massaging surface 44. The opposite edge of plastic element 54 terminates in protruding bristles 48. As illustrated, element 54 is arranged in a zig-zag pattern. Other suitable patterns, such as longitudinal or lateral rows, may be used. Brush head 28 is retained in an elliptical, longitudinally and outwardly grooved ring 58, facilitating proper positioning of brush head 28 in loop 24, said ring being impressed into and providing structural strength for porous material 50.

It is understood that minor variation from the form of the invention disclosed herein may be made without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and that the specification and drawing are to be considered as merely illustrative rather than limiting.

I claim:

1. A tooth brush comprising:

a tubular handle;

a tubular, telescoping member removably inserted in said handle; Y

a brush head holder removably held in said telescoping member and handle and including a pair of longitudinally disposed loops, one loop projecting from said telescoping member and said handle, the other loop having a resilient retaining portion removably engageable with said telescoping member;

a detachable brush head including porous material impregnated with dentifrice, said `porous material having one surface with tooth cleaning bristles protruding therefrom and a smooth opposite surface substantially V-shaped in -cross section with the apex outermost; said projecting loop encircling and gripping said head tightly intermediate the said surfaces.

2. A tooth brush comprising:

a tiat, tubular handle having an open end and a pair of laterally disposed slots in opposite sides` adjacent j to said open end;

a Hat,- tubular, telescoping member removably inserted in the open end of said handle, said member having an open end with an inwardly `projecting shoulder in one side thereof and an open, longitudinally disposed slot in the opposite side adjacent to one of said Y slots in said handle; Y

a brush head holder removably held in said telescoping member and handle and including a pair of longitudinally disposed resilient wire loops joined on one side by an inwardly turned arcuate portion and having overlapping free ends on the opposite side, one loop and a free end of the other loop being inserted in the open `'end of said telescoping member, the 55 free end of one loop having an inwardly turned j 4U-shaped portion, the free end of the other loop having an orthogonally, outwardly turned prong, said arcuate portion operatively engaging said shoulder, said prong operatively engaging said longitudinally disposed slot and one of said laterally disposed slots, the other loop projecting from said telescoping member and said handle; and

a detachable brush head including porous material irnpregnated with dentifrice, said porous material having a surface with tooth cleaning bristles protruding therefrom, said brush head tting tightly in said projecting loop.

3. The combination of-claim 1 in which said porous material has a ribbon `element of resilient material ernbedded in said material, said resilient material having a smooth edge terminating flush with said smooth surface to provide a device for massaging gums, said resilient material having an opposingedge with said bristles formed'.

a body of porous resilient material having spaced lon` gitudinally extending surfaces;

a ribbon element of resilient material embedded in said porous material;

one edge of said element terminating substantially iiush with and reinforcing one of said surfaces; and

the other edge of said element projecting from the other of said surfaces and having bristles thereon.

8. The structure of claim 7 in which said element is arranged in a zig-zag pattern.

9. The structure of claim 7 in which said porous material is impregnated with a dentifrice.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES lPATENTS Y 926,303 6/09 Thompson 15-110 1,043,414 11/12 Fliegler g 15-225 X` 1,666,116 4/28 Bunnell. 2,217,439 10/40 Fullerv -..Q 15--188 2,265,102 12/41 Cressler et al. `15--l67` 2,879,533 3/59 Ward 15-225 Xy 2,893,031 7/59 Dengler 15-188 X` 2,946,072 7/60 Filler' et til. 15--110 3,029,809 4/ 62 Madlllng 12S-62.1

CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner. 

1. A TOOTH BRUSH COMPRISING: A TUBULAR HANDLE; A TUBULAR, TELESCOPING MEMBER REMOVABLY INSERTED IN SAID HANDLE; A BRUSH HEAD HOLDER REMOVABLY HELD IN SAID TELESCOPING MEMBER AND HANDLE AND INCLUDING A PAIR OF LONGITUDINALLY DISPOSED LOOPS, ONE LOOP PROJECTING FROM SAID TELESCOPING MEMBER AND SAID HANDLE, THE OTHER LOOP HAVING A RESILIENT RETAINING PORTION REMOVABLY ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID TELESCOPING MEMBER; A DETACHABLE BRUCH HEAD INCLUDING POROUS MATERIAL IMPREGNATED WITH DENTIFRICE, SAID POROUS MATERIAL HAVING ONE SURFACE WITH TOOTH CLEANIN BRISTLES PROTRUDING THEREFROM AND A SMOOTH OPPOSITE SURFACE SUBSTANTIALLY V-SHAPED IN CROSS SECTION WITH THE APEX OUTERMOST; SAID PROJECTING LOOP ENCIRCLING AND GRIPPING SAID HEAD TIGHTLY INTERMEDIATE THE SAID SURFACES. 